Mitch Evans

*A small jornal-style notepad kept in the ICS Waverunner*
*Dated 05-28-2415*

Hec. Just Hec. That's who I've become. I was born Mitch Evans on Mars, September 15th, 2391. I was born into a loving family, with no siblings. My parents are alive and I talk to them often. They tell me about Mars and how it's coming along. It sounds scary back there, and I'm worried for them, but they're both strong. This is my journal though, so let's start with the basics.

Growing up I always had a pretty sharp wit. I expected I'd be a surgeon or a laboratory technician curing cancer. In high school I ran into a lot of trouble. Not the 'bullies stole my money' or 'this math homework is too hard' kind of trouble the 'oh shit, my best friend is dying from hard drugs overdose' kind of trouble. I won't make excuses. I did a lot of bad things that I'm going to regret forever during those times. But I'm not sorry. And I'm not sorry, because life isn't fair, so I shouldn't have to play fair too.

Now, after graduating from that shit-pit with shiny straight-As and Honor-Course marks, I dove headfirst into college where I got my first few tastes of the good stuff. I had always had a sweet tooth for pot and acid, but this new stuff really kicked me in the balls. I don't remember now what it was called but it was a heavy fuckin' speed that kept me up for nights of studying, calculating, memorizing, and writing. My brain was starving for information and experience and it wouldn't stop lusting for numbers and words and theories and practices until I'd finally collapsed. Sometimes I even fell asleep with a needle in my arm.

At the ripe age of 22 I had already achieved a bachelor's degree in Chemistry. During school I worked two jobs, the first: a pharmacy. I got a good insider's look at what drugs were taken for what, why, how much, and how much I could sell under the table. My second job was organizing... less than legal jobs. Off the books, of course. Heists, chemical tanks, mostly. Up until Hector was shot and killed by some New Simoan. I took his name out here in the Frontier, but I'll get to that later, maybe. Anyway, These chemicals are what I used to mix my own drugs. Cheap crank, of course, just to get the funds to pay my crew and maintain the equipment all while saving up for a ship. Well, I got the ship, but not until Harris and Morgan ODed and Terrance was struck and killed by a trucker on our last job. Those sons of bitches were supposed to come with me out here to carve out a life. We could leave it all behind, make medicine. Save people. But when I got here I was alone. Scared. I needed money and had a shitload of drugs. So I did the only thing I knew how. I started slinging the crank again.

On the trip through the core sectors and out into the Frontier there wasn't a whole lot to do aside from refine the drugs that I already knew how to make. I'd learned how to synthesize an amphetamine with some chemicals from mushrooms, herbs, and a root that I've found on jungle planets. I took a few seedlings, sprouts, and spores and have them growing on my ship in containment until I can start a proper farm. I also did a lot of research on explosives used in mining and planet-cracking for resources and came up with a brilliant compound that's simple and cheap. On the way over I was able to sell tons of the stuff- mining companies tend to love cutting corners when it comes to cost- it was also a great opportunity to sling my crank too. Foremen looked the other way while their men happily chugged overtime.

A few months ago I arrived in the Antares frontier. An insignificant speck of space- a miniscule iota in the cosmos like all the others. Stars. Planets. Moons. Colonies. People. There is nothing significant about this place and its people. And yet, it's where I call home, now. My first day I met a man named 'Reed.' Seems he's a doctor or something. He still is. I was able to hook him on my amphetamine, Razor, and he was my first customer. He still is. These days though, I've eased him off the hard shit and turned him onto Astroturf, my herb. It's a smokable just oozing with Tetrahydracannibinol. It's basically harmless. I need him around until I can find a doctor that isn't so easily swayed. If I take a bullet by some white knight out here, I need a doctor with a little history.

After squeezing Reed for a little cash I went into hiding to scout a place to stay and grow my product and set up the refineries. I need a huge tract of land with a gravity similar to Mars's if my calculations are going to work. Most of the planets I've found are worthless, inhospitable miserable molten rocks. A lot more of the planets have soils lacking the correct minerals. I'm not an agriculture major, but I'm not an idiot either.

So... After what feels like years of trekking through the most garbage planets imaginable, I decided to check up on the affairs of the sector. I landed in a place called 'Dexter's Gardens.' Would you fucking believe this planet has the most mineral-rich soil I have ever set boot on? The scenery is gorgeous, the rain is refreshing, and the smell is absolutely divine. It was overwhelming. I headed into the restaurant just by the beampad because it'd been so long since I'd had a decent cooked meal... good God above I thought I was going to cry when I shoveled that first spoonful into my mouth. It was so smooth, so thick, and the vegetable-to-meat ratio was perfect. Would you believe they also had red wine? It was thick, earthy, and overall quite wet. After my meal was finished, I met a woman. Another connoisseur of fine wines. She invited me back up to her ship for a nice surprise.

It was Reed! Surprise! Apparently he and the woman are dating. Or screwing. Or something, I honestly can't tell. We raided Katune for materials for the woman- Raven's- bedroom or something. Guest room. Nothing particularly interesting there except her reaction when I gave her ass a gentle smack. Couldn't help it. If I could do it again, I would.

I met an avian in the bar a few hours later. Xei. Red feathers. Couldn't tell if it was a man or a woman and to be honest, I don't really care. They gave me a bottle of wine and chatted me up a bit. Seemed interested in what I had to say. I won't call this a partnership just yet because they may have just been softening me up for some heated alien sex. I doubt it, though. Gonna air on the former. Please.

There's a few little details I'm leaving out here and there, but I met another woman. Named Vi. I'm looking for hands to maybe help me out around the sector and she sure has some powerful hands it seems. There was this idiot manchild buzzing around us the entire time we were trying to speak. Until he fell off a three-story fucking building and nearly killed himself. Idiot. I grabbed his cash and phone and Vi carved 'kick me' in the back of his hair. It was goddamned hilarious. I nearly died. Anyway, Vi's straight, I'll give her a call when she's needed.

And now for the fun one. 'Gunson.' As I was leaving the restaurant I patted down some masked hero-looking type. Didn't feel like they were carrying much other than a few pix and a gun. Nothing out of the ordinary there, as handguns are allowed on the Gardens. It was a clean getaway, or so I thought. Later they caught me eavesdropping on an avian couple. While we were 'chatting', a hylotl intruded. A hylotl I'd met a few days prior named Tsuyoshi. He seemed decent at the time, but I see now he's a narc. I'm disassociating with him before he gets me killed. Anyway! Gunson... the masked hero. picked my pocket, as it were. I caught them, but since those pockets were empty, I just shot them a glare and continued on my way. This is the interesting part. They didn't take anything- they planted an invitation to Sundew Station, a known criminal hideout. Oh, I was giddy. I'd been meaning to check up on the Scarabas, but they had found me first it seemed. So I went. Of course I was terrified for my life, but if things turned out well, it'd be a great business venture. It went splendid. Not only did Gunson like my sales pitch, she's also quite interesting. We exchanged details, I brought her my samples, and we left on a good note.

I can't wait to hear from any one of my newest colleagues. It's been the most productive day since my ship nearly flooded with deadly neurotoxins when I blacked out by the refinery. That's the day I learned how to make a deadly neurotoxin. And promptly flushed it out the airlock and burned the formula. I'm no murderer. Not yet.

 

Things were going really well. I was making some business associates, I found the Gardens- the soil is exactly what I need to start the farm proper. Moved out of the inn there to take a place on Sundew, but my plans hit a bit of a snag when I got shot.

So I was taking a stroll on the Gardens after putting away my things when I happened to come across the bird, Xei, I met the other night. The cheeky bugger was picking a fight with Tony (whom I later learned is actually 'Mark.' I don't blame him for lying.) Anyway, it came to blows. I wasn't on either of their side. Personally, I don't give a shit. If they want to fight, they can fight. However, the noise drew the attention of just about every motherfucker with eyes on the planet. Unbelievable. Where there's crowds, there's always going to be 'heroes' looking to impress. So this bird tries to step up and get involved. Fuck that guy. I wouldn't let him. He tried to brush by me and I wasn't having that shit. He got a nice shove back down some stairs. At this point I'm not only irritated by some wanna-be vigilante, but I'm also missing the fight. What a fuckstick. So after refusing to move or back down for him, this idiot draws and starts waving a gun like some blueblooded rookie. I figure he's all talk so again, refuse. And he shot me.

Right, so, at this point, I flop down onto the nearby bench, howling and clutching my ruined thigh. Whatever that shitty bird gun shoots, it fucking hurts. Superheated crystals or something? Later found out the crystal bullet was lodged in my femur. For fuck's sake... So I'm sitting there on this bench, scared for my life, of course. When you're in that much agony and with that much adrenaline coursing through your veins, you do irrational things. Like draw your own gun and shoot the person that's advancing on your business associates. Four times in the back. This is of course bad for business, as I'll have a reputation. Which is unfortunate, since I was doing so well at keeping my head down.

After the incident is over, I'm taken into custody and the would-be vigilante is taken to the hospital. The planet security forces had the decency to bind my leg before throwing me in the can. I figure I'd spend a night or two in jail here before I'm released. They're only taking me into custody because the bird wasn't able to give a statement. Which is absolute horseshit, since I have witnesses- every single one of them stated it was self defense and defense of my associates. The law force on this planet is clearly inept. They have no idea how their own laws work. The pink one that took me into custody didn't even search me and confiscate my effects. Fucking rookies. Rookies everywhere.

To recap:
Bird shot me while I was unarmed. He advanced on Mark and Xei with his gun drawn. I drew my gun and shot him repeatedly. Threat neutralized. We were taken to the hospital. I was taken to jail. That's all I know. Aside from the throbbing pain in my thigh. At the very least, I'm going to squeeze painkillers out of these assholes for keeping me in jail for a crime I didn't commit.

 

Things are getting a bit out of hand these days. While I was imprisoned several people took great care of me. None of them were Dexter's Gardens' security or medical staff. Rather it was Raven, Rida, and even Xei, who arranged to smuggle a bottle of wine into my cell. They all deserve my thanks and I'll definitely be looking out for them.

I took Rida out as soon as DG released me from that shithole. Well, I took a shower and changed first of course. The guards left me in the cell several days without allowing me to bathe. When all was said and done I was released with 'aggravated assault' and 'assault with a deadly weapon' charges. Whatever. I paid the fine- five thousand pixels. That's every startup pixel I had. All that's left is the money I've made from Reed.

After Rida and I parted ways Raven gave me a call. She wanted to talk. She's a feisty woman, let there be no confusion. She threatened me over Reed's safety when she found out about his Razor kick and Astroturf purchases. Then, in a complete 180 fashion, she basically climbed all over me like a... ... thing that climbs on people. Then Max showed up for some reason. He wasn't happy. He took a swing on me in Raven's ship, but I wasn't about to pull a 'self defense' on Raven's ship. Especially since she's sleeping with him too? ? ?

I don't know what the hell is going on right now, but it's best to just keep my head down for the time being. After things cool down a bit I can start slinging dope and find a better place to cook. The ship is far too crowded to keep the operation going there. Once I have a real lab I can really start making money.

 

Hmnh. The past few days have been pretty productive. Gunson really came through for me. They managed to sell all the product in the sample. If I can start offloading product to distributors, I won't have to sling dope myself and risk getting fucked. That wasn't a metaphor, one of my would-be customers really wanted to fuck me in exchange for drugs. Anyway, Business is great. A floran met me on Sundew and bought a case of Razor. She was already pretty energetic and inquisitive, so it seemed like a match made in heaven. She'll probably call back when her dosage runs dry.

With this parcel of cash Gunson made for us I've almost got enough to fund an operation to steal the Gardens' soil. After recent sales (and jail fines) I've come out to fifty-four hundred pix and some change for food. It ain't much yet, but it's enough for more chems.

I just need a little more cash and resources. Mainly people-resources. I've been keeping my eye out for able bodies to thicken my ranks, but pickins are slim. This knob fella seems like a sure-fire winner, but I haven't seen him around in a bit. Hope he's alright.

Haven't seen hide nor feather of Xei or Vi, but they seem the type to take care of themselves. Mark's a fucking dingdong and is probably dead in a ditch or three. I still don't have enough hands to drive Herx out just yet. I still need a proper lab. I'll need to find a place for that before I can run the soil-grab. Once I have it, though, I project production will skyrocket. Especially if I can get Herx and a few florans hooked on the product. Florans supposedly have a nifty gift of commanding the growth of plants. Couple that with motivation and mineral-rich soil, you've got a recipe for serious growth.

Ahh... Aside from business affairs. Raven and Reed... Rida. I'm getting too involved with people. Even selling my own product is putting me too close to other people. If Antarans get to recognize my face, there's going to be problems in the future. Maybe I need to just lay low for a while. Cooking up more product to replace Gunson's sales would be a good excuse. I just wish I wasn't confined to cook on my ship. It's getting cramped in here.